Portland is a growing center for the biotechnology, software, renewable energy, sportswear, and creative services industries.   In recent years, Portland has become a hub in the fast-growing market for sustainable goods and services. Since its inception in 1982, the K&L Gates Portland office has seen its practice evolve with the region.  Our clients include public and private companies in a range of industries, private investors, financial institutions, and government entities. 

Our practice focuses on four main areas of emphasis: corporate transactions, public finance, litigation, and regulatory law.

The transactional Portland attorneys of K&L Gates are recognized as leaders in sophisticated finance techniques, including public and private debt and equity offerings, real estate finance, secured and unsecured lending, distressed company finance, and public finance.  We counsel clients in mergers and acquisitions, financings, technology and intellectual property transactions, real estate developments, executive employment agreements and commercial contracts.  Our clients include both the company side and investor side of the finance relationship.  For private equity, hedge fund and venture capital clients, we advise on fund formation, key investments as well as provide portfolio company counsel.

The Portland office is a center of K&L Gates’ leading public finance practice and represents state agencies, municipalities, ports, utilities and school districts in the state of Oregon.  Our public finance attorneys also represent underwriters and credit providers in complex pension bond, derivative and affordable housing projects.  In this capacity, and in light of the prominence and involvement of its lawyers in civic and business affairs, the office has played a leadership role in many of the public-private economic development initiatives in Portland and across the state of Oregon.

Our litigation experience covers a spectrum of business disputes and issues, including antitrust, bankruptcy, contracts, creditors’ rights, employment, intellectual property, shareholder disputes, and tort claims. We practice in the state, federal and appeals courts of Oregon and Washington.

Our regulatory experience includes advice to clients in regulated industries as well as advice on various state and federal regulatory and policy matters including environmental law, administrative agency regulations, and lobbying and appropriations.  We counsel energy and utilities clients on Federal Energy Regulatory Commission matters as well as local regulations governing the sale, marketing and distribution of power. We assist in state and federal energy policy development.  For clients in the food, drug, cosmetic and medical device industries, we advise on Food and Drug Administration regulatory law, as well as human subject research compliance and labeling restrictions.